Piarists

The Chierici Regolari della Madre di Dio della Scuole Pie (Scolopi or Piarists) are one of a number of groups of clerics which arose in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries who were dedicated to many forms of apostolic work and evangelization. The groups arose out of a spirit or reform and a desire to return to what they saw as an original form of the apostolate. These were not religious orders in the sense that they did not live according to a specific rule. The first group to form was the Teatini (1524); the last was the Mariani (1671).

Giuseppe Calasanzio founded his first scuole pie in 1597 in Rome. The Scolopi were founded in 1617 as an amalgam of two existing groups, one founded earlier by Giuseppe Calasanzio and the other called the Chierici regolari della Madre di Dio. Pope Paul V united the groups in 1617 as the Congregazione paolina dei Poveri della Madre di Dio delle Scuole Pie. In 1621, Pope Gregory XV approved the group as a religious order under thename of the Chierici regolari della Madre di Dio della Scuole Pie in a brief entitled "In supremo apostolatus." In 1646, Pope Innocent X reduced the status ofthe order to a congregation under the name of the Oratorio of S. Filippo Neri. The Scolopi were partially reconstituted by Pope Alexander VII and in 1669 were completely reestablished by Pope Clement IX.

The primary work of the Scolopi is educational. Their curriculum centers on Christian values which are taught to children of all social classes in order to assist in the Christian renewal of society. The Scolopi began with schools teaching the humanities, then branched out to include the sciences, and finally they established technical and vocational schools. Although the Scolopi began work among Christians, they now also work among non-Christians.

The Scolopi do not follow a particular rule. Their spirituality reaffirms the three standard vows - poverty, chastity, and obedience. However, they also take a fourth vow to dedicate themselves to the Christian education of children. The constitutions of the group encourage meditation, guidance by the Holy Spirit, and the Blessed Sacrament. The asceticism and mysticism of early members is still a part of Scolopi spirituality.

The Scolopi experimented with different classes of clerics within their organization. The establishment of chierici operai (non-clerical instructors) in 1627, however, caused an uproar and chierici operai were eliminated although brothers continued to be a part of the group. The other early crisis was the brief reducing the order to a congregation in 1646. These two events caused some members to leave, although the overall numbers continued to increase. The partial restoration of the status of the Scolopi was followed by a long and hard struggle to regain full status as a religious order. The success of this effort is largely due to Carlo Giovanni Pirroni, general superior elected in 1677. He stayed in constant contact with the Holy See and Pope Innocent XI in order to ensure that the reforms of the period were properly adopted by the Scolopi. In 1683, the order was established in Spain. In the early eighteenth century, the Scolopi embraced the teaching of science in their schools. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the Scolopi continued their work, expandinginto other European countries and into the non-Christian world.

From the description of Fondo Scolopi, 1614-1774. (University of Michigan). WorldCat record id: 145570286